Someone damaged the rear bumper of my Audi TT. The bumper needs to be replaced.

Does anyone know of any prestigious/great auto body shops in NJ? The person who hit me is paying privately so money is not a factor.

with great success:

Ray Mees auto body (201) 869-2286, he's located in North Bergen NJ and Fantastic Plastic located in Clifton (973) 478-2242. Of the two Ray Mees is a more high end shop. If you decide to use Ray Mees e-mail me.

My car was keyed real badly on the hood and roof. They repaired/painted my hood and roof. They also painted and installed my Votex spoiler. Paint matches perfectly, they did an awesome job. They take their time doing cars, don't like to rush there work for anyone. Talk to Matt, he is a great stand up guy. They do lots of body kit paint/installs on 100K+ cars. They are also a favorite among local Audi enthusiasts.

176 Saddle River Ave Bldg G
South Hackensack, NJ 07026
973-779-0497

They do good work, and Matt has been great to deal with.

Thanks, man. I've gotten estimates at Caruso's, Maclens and another shop, will see what C&D have to say. Insurance company is trying to screw me, I'm not happy with them nickel-and-diming me.

TM

Insurance companies will nickel and dime people...that's what they get paid to do. Most people collect the money and walk...so in that scenario, the insurance company knows that if they cut a check for just half of what the quote was for, the person will begrudgingly accept it. If the car is at the shop, the body shop owner can justify the repair bill if the adjuster cares to challenge it. You are hardly in any position to justify any part of the repair, and you don't want to be in a position to do so.

Second rule of thumb...deal with a reputable body shop. Adjusters know body shops, and they know which one's are legit, and which one's are shady. When dealing with a shady shop or unknown shop, they will nickel and dime the shop owner, knowing that the owner might fix or refinish certain parts that they are claiming they will replace in the repair estimate.

Third rule of thumb follows #2...have the shop order the parts BEFORE the adjuster shows up. When the adjuster sees the new parts waiting to be installed, they are a lot less likely to haggle. A part is sitting there, it costs $X, and it will be replaced...end of story...no room for haggling.

Matt @ C&D shared of few "secrets" of the biz with me. He knows the game, and he knows how to fix cars. When I turn my keys over to him, all I need to know is that my car will be fixed right. He deals with the rest, and makes sure the insurance co. pays for it. He did $7000 in work to my A4. Some other shops might have charged $5K, but I didn't have to lift a finger when dealing with Matt. He knows the adjuster, and the adjuster knows that he is a straight up and honest businessman. The two of them sorted everything out, and I just showed up to sign the papers and pick up my keys.

My S4 was rear ended a month ago. I haven't had time to bring it to Matt to have him fix it, and my insurance company has been nagging me to see the car. If they see it, I know they will probably write it off as a refinish of the bumper, and hand me a check for $300. I called Matt yesterday and set up an appt for next week. He's ordering a new bumper cover, the metal structure behind the bumper, and two new impact absorbers. Everything will be waiting in the shop by the time I drop it off. I notified the adjuster that they should be at the shop on Monday, since the repairs begin on Tuesday. That's $1300 in work that the insurance company will be paying for. If Matt finds any additional damage, he will take the same approach...order the parts, call the adjuster in to approve the supplemental repair work, and call me to notify me that there will be a slight delay.

FYI - Matt might not give you an estimate unless you bring the car to him. I'm not sure where you're at, but he's up in North Jersey, 10 miles from the GW Bridge.

First rate quality repairs. They care about their work.

Just want to post my experience with repair of my Denim 18t it at slow speed in front fender by a car attempting to park in front of me. Let me first say that the other guy was completely at fault and has paid for 100% of the damage.

C&D cost was not inexpensive but the customer service and professionalism by Matt was superb! The work they did was top notch with all new Audi OEM parts, they replaced everything nothing was repaired except the scuffed front which was sent out and refinished and rebalance. Paint finish and color match was superb and car was returned detailed inside and out.

Thanks to everyone on the forum who posted comments and recommended C&D Auto Body.

PS this is my first experience with them and would recommend to anyone looking for as close to factory finish they can get.

176 Saddle River Ave Bldg G
South Hackensack, NJ 07026
973-779-0497